Riveting machine



Dec. 19, 1933. A, u, KERNS RIVETING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ffali Q oooooooo v o I INVENTOR: fldm Uiferns,

W1 TNESSES: @im 74 TTORNEYS.

Dec. 19, 1933. A. u. KERNS RIVETING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28. 1932 INVlzNTOR: Hahn Miran 15, BY W ATTORNEYS.

@253 @IMJ Patented Dec. 19, 1933 PATENT OFFICE I RIVETING MACHINE Adin U. Kerns, Altoona, Pa.

Application September '28, 1932 Serial No. 035,170

Claims. (01. 218-19) My invention relatesv to riveting machines, and'more particularly to portable riveting machines which are manually operated to rivet together companion parts. The riveting ma- 5 chine of my invention isparticularly useful in its application to rivets of ductile material such as are used for joining together trolley wire clamps on overhead catenary construction of electrified railways. v

The principal object of my invention is to 1 provide a comparatively light and compact riveting machine capable of being operated handihr by a single person. 'More specific objects of the invention relate to the provision in such a machine of means for clamping the frame of the machine, incident to the riveting operation, to the parts to be riveted, whereby the machine is heldsteady so that the operator may concentrate his attention on that handle which conto the provision of means for effecting quick release of the rivet forming dieso as to reduce the time required for each riveting operation.

Still other objects and advantages characteristic of my invention will become more fully apparent from the detailed description of one embodiment or, example thereof which follows hereinafter, having reference to the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings: Fig. I represents a side elevation, partly in cross section, of a riveting machine of my invention, showing the parts in the position which they occupy just prior to the forming of e rivet. Fig. 11 repremnts a similar view of a portion of .the machine, showing the parts in the position. whichthey occupy after the rivet is formed. represents a similar view of a portion of the machine, showing the parts in the position which they occupy after the forming die has been released from the rivet.

Fig. IV represents a detailed .view, partly in cross section, of the ratchet wrenchwhich comprises apart of the'riveting machine.

Fig. V represents a cross section of the same,

and,

Figs. VI and VII representperspective views of the clamping die and forming die respectivehr of the riveting machine.

With particular reference to Fig. I of the drawings, there is represented a riveting machine which is adapted to the forming of heads on hollow rivets of ductile material for joining together trolley wire clamps. 7 Such clamps are used for 7 connecting the messenger wires and trols the riveting function of the machine; and.

there is a driving spindle 16 in the form of a taken as indicated by the lines .V-V of Fig. IV;

contact wires of the catenary construction of electrified railways. The machine is of a portable type which can be readily operated by a single person, either seated in a boatswains chair suspended from the wire upon which he is working, or standing on an elevated platform of a tower car or the like adjacent to the wire.

The machine comprises generally a yoke frame 1 havingv thereon a rigid handle 2 and a ratchet wrench, comprehensively designated at 3, for controlling the riveting operation. The rigidhandle 2 may take a variety of forms. In the'prese'nt instance, it is shown to be of tubular shape and is attached to a fiat surface 4 of the yoke frame, by means of a connecting piece 5 and a stud bolt 6.

At one end 7 of the yoke frame 1 there is provided a non-rotating or fixed die 8 shown in perspective in Fig. VII. The end 7 of the yoke frame 1 preferably has a cylindrical bore 9 in which there is a shoulder 10 upon which the non-rotating or fixed die 8 may be seated and fitted in such manner that this die, while readily removable, does not turn within its seat. The non-rotating or fixed die 8 serves to engage the preformed end 11 of a hollow rivet 12 and to hold the same against rotation. The rivet 12 is shown applied to companion trolley wire clamps 13 which engage between them spaced wires 14.

h At the opposite end 15 of the yoke frame 1,

screw. The screw 16 has removably fitted thereto a head forming die 1'7, the head forming die being disposed in opposite relation to the fixed die8. The head forming die 17 is adapted to enter the unformed end 18 of the rivet l2 and to expand the same by a combined rotary, and translatory movement. To impart this movement to the head forming die 17, the spindle 16 turns in spiral ball bearings 19 within the'cylindrical bore 20 at the end 15 of the yoke frame 1. The screw 16 has a nut shaped portion 21 pro- J'ecting outward beyond the yoke frame 1. To thenut shaped portion 21 of the screw 16 the socketed ratchet wrench 3 is applied.

While other forms of double acting ratchet wrenches may be used to effect turning move- -ment of the screw 16, I preferably employ a wrench of the type shown in my pending application for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 635,171, filed September 28, 1932. This type of ratchet wrench, as shown in Fig. IV, comprises generally a bifurcated head 22 having a sleeve portion 23 to which a handle 24 is fitted, with capacity for relative rotational movement about the longitudinal axis of the wrench. Housed within the bifurcated head 22, there is a ratchet wheel 25 socketed to the nut shaped portion 21 of the screw 16. A pawl 26 pivoted on a pin 2'7 engages the ratchet wheel 26. In the end of the ratchet handle 24 there is a pawl actuating pin 28 urged against the pawl 26 by a spring 29. By turning movement of the handle 24the pawl actuating pin 28 is caused to swing the pawl 26 from side to side. Segmental stops 43 and 44 on the head 22 and handle 24, respectively of the ratchet wrench 3, as shown in Fig. V, limit the turning movement of the handle. With the handle 24 in one extreme position, the ratchet wrench 3 will operate to advance the head forming die 17 towards the fixed die'8. With the handle set in the opposite position, the head forming die 17 will be separated from the fixed die 8 by operation of the ratchet wrench; and with the handle 24 in an intermediate position, in which the segmental stops 43 and 44 are disposed oppositely to each other, the pawl 28 of the ratchet wrench will be out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 25. Thus the ratchet wrench 3 is a double acting wrench adjustable toassume either ahead, reverse or neutral position.

The end 15 of the yoke frame 1 is externally,

threaded at 30, and on this end there is fitted a correspondingly threaded cap 31. The cap 131 has a flange 32 which engages one end of a helical spring 33. The opposite end of the spring 33 bears upon a disk or washer 34 interposed between the ratchet wrench 3 and the cap 131. The spring 33 serves as a means for urging the driving screw 16 in a direction such as to sep-{ arate the head forming die 17 from the fixed die 8, and is operative to impart such movement to the driving screw 16 when the ratchet wrench 3 is in neutral position.

The head forming die 17 is preferably made to the form shown in Fig. VII. It has a threaded end 35 engaging in a correspondingly threaded opening 36 in the driving screw 16, andiat the opposite end it is provided with a rivet forming surface 37 and a projecting flange 38. The head forming die 17 fits within a cylindrical clamping member 39 which in turn fits within an enlarged bore 40 within the end' 15 of the yoke frame 1. The clamping member 39 has capacity for sliding movement within the bore 40 relative to the yoke frame 1 and relative'to the head forming die 17.v There is'an inwardly projecting flange 41 on the clamping member 39 which bears against one end of a helical spring 42. The opposite end of thegspring 42 bears against the flat end of the driving screw 16.

Thus the clamp member 39 is'urged towards the parts to be riveted, and, as the driving screw 16 is advanced, the clamping member 39 engages the trolley wire clamp 13.

The operation of the above described machine is as follows: Assuming that the ratchet wrench 3 is in neutral position, and that theoperator is about to form the head of the rivet, and that the head forming die 17 is spaced apart from the non-rotating 'die 8, the operator proceeds to steady the machine by the rigid handle 2 so that it straddles the trolley wire clamps 13 with the fixed die 8 engaging the preformed end 11 of the rivet 12. The operator then turns the handle 24 of the ratchetwrench 3 to adjust the wrench to ahead position. 'With a back and forth movement of the handle 24', the driving 15 of the yoke frame 1 carrying the head forming die 17 toward the unformed end 18 of the rivet. As the head forming die 1'7 enters the unformed end 18 of the rivet, the clamping member 39 engages the trolley wire clamps 13. With further movement of the driving screw 16, the clamping spring 42 is compressed and increased clamping pressure is brought to bear upon the trolley wire clamps 13 so that the riveting machine is made rigid with the parts to be riveted. At this point the parts of the riveting machine assume the positions represented in Fig. I. With further movement of the handle 24 of the ratchet wrench 3, the head forming die 17 expands the unformed end 18 of the rivet 12 and presses the same against the trolley wire clamp 13. The parts then assume the positions represented in Fig. II.

When the rivet has been thus formed, the operator turns the handle 24 of the ratchet wrench 3 about its longitudinal axis to adjust the ratchet wrench to reverse position. He then moves the handle 24 back andforth causing the driving screw 16 to recede within the end 15 of the yoke frame 1 carrying with it the head forming die 17. As soon as the head forming die 17 is out of engagement with the rivet 12, the operator then adjusts the ratchet wrench 3 to neutral position by giving a further turn to the handle 24. With the ratchet wrench 3 in neutral position, the driving screw 16 is free'to move under the influence of the release spring 33 so that the head forming die 17 is automatically brought to a fully separated position from the fixed die 8, as shown in FigQIII.

It will be especially noted that incident to the forming of the rivet, the riveting machine is efiectively clamped to the parts to be'riveted and steadied in such manner that the forming die will be properly guided in its movement. Accordingly, the' operator may relax his grip on the rigid handle 2 and concentrate his attention on the operation of the ratchet wrench 3. Thus he may exert sufiicient pressure on the ratchet wrench 3 to securely rivet the trolley wire clamps together.

While I have described one example or embodiment of my invention, showing a specific form which the invention may take, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form of apparatus herein described and illustrated, without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the claims hereto annexed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a riveting machine, a rigid yoke frame, a non-rotating die at one end of said frame, a screw movable in the other end of said frame, said screw having thereon a head forming die normally separated from said non-rotating die to permit the insertion of a rivet therebetween, rotatable means for turning said screw to advance said head forming die toward the rivet, and a release spring for turning said screw in the opposite direction, said release spring being operable to return the head forming die to its normal position.

2. In a riveting machine, a rigid yoke frame, a non-rotating die at one end of said frame,'a screw movable in the other end of said frame,

said screw terminating in a head forming die to permit the insertion of a rivet therebetween,

a rotatable handle operable to turn said screw to advance said head forming die toward the rivet, and a spring for automatically turning said screw in the opposite direction when the handle is released, said release spring being operable to return the head forming die to its normal position.

3. In a portable riveting machine, a yoke frame, a non-rotating die at one end of said frame, a screw movable in the other end of said frame, said screw terminating in a head forming die opposite said non-rotating die adapted to engage a rivet disposed therebetween, a handle rigid with said yoke frame, an additional handle adjacent to said first mentioned handle operable to turn said screw to advance said head forming die toward the rivet, and a release spring for turning said screw in the opposite direction.

4. In a portable riveting machine, a yoke frame, a fixed die at one end there0f, a screw movable in the other end of said frame, said screw having thereon a head forming die opposite said fixed die adapted to engage a rivet disposed therebetween, a ratchet handle on said screw, said ratchet handle being adjustable to operatively engage or to release said screw, and

a spring for turning said screw to separate the movable and fixed dies when said ratchet handle is released.

' 5, In a riveting machine, a yoke frame, a fixed die at one end of said frame, a screw movable in the other end of said frame, said screw having thereon a head forming die normally separated from said fixed die to permit the insertion of a rivet therebetween, a clamping device movable relatively to said screw and adapted to bear against the parts to be riveted, a spring forurging the clamping device toward the parts to be riveted, a handle for turning said screw, and an additional spring for turning said screw in the opposite direction when said handle is released, said release spring being operable to return the head forming die to its normal position.

ADIN U. KERNS. 

